In September 2019 Anti-Doping Norway (ADNO) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the amateur boxer Hadi Srour after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Recombinant Erythropoietin (rhEPO). Additionally ADNO reported an anti-doping rule violation for 3 whereabouts filing failures and a missed test within a 12 month period.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the NIF Judging Committee.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance, disputed the test results with assistance of expert witnesses and challenged in vain the imposed provisional suspension.
In his defence the Athlete filed an expert rapport that concluded that there was no presence of rhEPO in his samples. He acknowledged his Whereabouts filing failures due to family problems abroad he had to settle. He refuted the charge that he had breached his provisional suspension.
The NIF Judging Committee finds that the presence of a prohibited substance had been established in the Athlete’s sample and accordingly that he committed an anti-doping rule violation.
Considering the evidence and witness statements provided by ADNO and 3 WADA accredited laboratories the Judging Committee concludes that the test results are valid and that there had been no departures of the International Standards for Laboratories (ISL) and technical documents.
As a result the Committee rejects the assertions from the Athlete and his expert witnesses that the test results were invalid due to inconsistencies. The Committee accepts the Athlete’s explanation for his negligence regarding the whereabouts filing failures en missed test and that he established grounds for a reduced sanction in this matter.
The Committee considers that the Athlete breached his provisional suspension on two occasions in June 2020 and deems that the two charges against the Athlete are settled as one single first anti-doping rule violations.
Therefore the NIF Judging Committee decides on 1 November 2020 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting, starting on the new adjusted date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 19 November 2019.
